Why India’s focus on Middle East is on trade despite defence ties with UAE

India’s increasing engagement with Gulf nations is driven more by trade and energy security, even as it seeks to forge a defence partnership with the United Arab Emirates amid deepening rivalries in the region, according to analysts.Last week, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan made a brief stop in New Delhi, where both sides pledged to deepen trade ties and defence cooperation.The trip has fuelled speculation that the UAE is seeking to diversify its strategic partnerships amid its row with Saudi Arabia over Yemen. In December, Saudi Arabia bombed positions in Yemen held by the UAE-backed and now defunct Southern Transitional Council, a separatist group that was fighting in the country’s civil war.During the talks between the UAE leader and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the two sides pledged to double bilateral trade to US$200 billion by 2032.Both sides also plan to conclude a defence partnership agreement, under which they would cooperate in areas such as the defence industry, special operations, cyberspace and counterterrorism.The visit comes as tensions between India and Pakistan remain high following a military clash between the two neighbours last year.